BLIAQ Newsletter
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July 2019 Edition 136 Chung Tian Buddhist TemPle 1034 Underwood Road Priestdale QLD 4127, Australia Newsletter Website: www.Chungtian.org.au BLIAQ Email: [email protected] Buddha’s Light International Association of Queensland, Ph: 3841 3511 Fax: 3841 3522 Australia Greetings to all our readers: Another busy month has gone by as we saw the final Meditation and Buddhism classes for term two, and the beginning of the English Buddhist and Meditation Class Intensive Course. In addition, there was a well-attended Dharma talk by the ChanCellor of Fo Guang Shan Institute of HumanistiC Buddhism. The Eight Precepts Retreat on 15 June had over 60 partiCipants, and one of our members has shared her experience of that very speCial event. We have the regular items - Our Beautiful TemPle, this time featuring the Blessing Bell, as well as this month’s words of Master Hsing Yun where he is refleCting on understanding time. MembershiP of our branch is growing, and in response to requests from newer members, over the next few months we will be Presenting information about the branCh, some of the committee members and the BLIAQ in general, together with a short segment of notes from your branCh President Gary. Thoughts from the English Buddhist and Editors Pen Meditation Class A week or so ago, the Smithsonian Daily, featured a story by Brigit Katz* about Sommarøy, a small Intensive Course Norwegian island north of the ArCtic Circle. Mr Hveding is one of many residents requesting that Sundays 30 June time be abolished on Sommarøy. Katz rePorted “last week, Hveding presented a Norwegian 7, 14 and 21 July 10:00 am – 12:00pm member of parliament with a petition signed by the island’s residents, asking to become the world’s first time-free zone.” The rationale behind this is the nature of the environment. This remote island is one where “there is little to no sunlight in winter and a never setting sun during summer.” During Bright Light Dharma summer there are 69 days when the sun just does not set. During winter it simPly does not rise. The Service end result is that residents of this island have a different ConCept of time from those of us who Sat 6 July 10:30 am exPerienCe day and night in a conventional regular and Predictable Pattern. This concept sparked my attention. I have always had an interest in time, how it is perCeived indeed what it really is. Is it just a delusion? More years ago than I Care to remember, even at uni, I was writing about the influence of time on society. Consequently, a CouPle of days ago after reading about Sommarøy, I delved deeP into the reCesses of a cuPboard under the stairs, braved the Tea Ceremony Day cobwebs, and somehow managed to find some old musings. I wasn’t a Buddhist then, true I was at Chung Tian TemPle being drawn to it, but I had not truly embraCed it all those years ago. Would I still view time the Sun 14 July 10:00 am – 3:00pm same way now I wondered as I began to turn the crumPled and faded Pages? To my surprise I had ended with a quote from TS Elliot’s Little Gidding: “We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started Great ComPassion And know the place for the first time RePentanCe ServiCe Through the unknown, remembered gate Sat 20 July When the last of earth left to discover 9:30 am – 12:00pm Is that which was the beginning.” So with all that in mind, this month’s words of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, are:- ‘Understanding Time’. Buddha’s Light SCout Hilary Lennon Editor GrouP ACtivities * https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews-arts-culture/norwegian-island-wants-become-worlds-first-time-free-zone- Starts 21 July 180972443/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20190619-daily- responsive&spMailingID=40000169&spUserID=NjU2MTI0Njg2Mjg2S0&spJobID=1541648359&spReportId=MTU0MTY0ODM1OQS2 Contents this issue Page Our Beautiful TemPle: The Blessing Bell 2 Words of Venerable Master Hsing Yun 3 Meet your BLIAQ BranCh Committee 4 Diary reminders from your branCh President 5 Reflection on the Eight Precepts Retreat 6 English Buddhist & Meditation Class Intensive Course 7 Tea Ceremony Day at Chung Tian TemPle 8 TemPle Events for August 2019 9 Term 3 Meditation, Buddhist and Tai Chi Classes 10 Buddha’s Light International Association Qld Newsletter Edition 136 July 2019 Our Beautiful Temple The Blessing Bell The large Blessing Bell in Kuan Yin Court originally Came from Taiwan and was brought to Australia sPeCifiCally for the TemPle in 1997. It weighs 7 ton. It is believed to be the biggest and heaviest bell in Brisbane and rePresents a reminder for all to herald PeaCe and harmony. An offering to Buddhist teaChings may be made in the Centre Court by ringing the large Blessing Bell. Striking the bell to pay honour to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is Called a ‘bell offering’. There are many merits in striking the bell, and when striking it to make suCh an offering, the intention should be to extend benefit to others. It is also imPortant to be mindful of its insCription: Let the chime of the bell alleviate sufferings, cultivate wisdom and induce enlightenment. Let those hearing it refrain from suffering in hell and the burning flame, but vow to attain Buddhahood and deliver all sentient beings. The above Gatha* insCription is based on Part of the Ekottara Agama Sutra. *(Sanskrit term for "stanza" or "verse”) 2 Buddha’s Light International Association Qld Newsletter Edition 136 July 2019 THIS MONTH’S WORDS OF VENERABLE MASTER HSING YUN Understanding Time* Many PeoPle often Complain about how time flies, while others Complain about how time Crawls. Some sPend their time in searCh of fame and fortune instead of sPending time with their loved ones, while others waste their time on trivial matters instead of using time to better themselves. If students are unwilling to sPend time in the Classroom, how Can they acquire knowledge and broaden their horizons? If farmers are unwilling to sPend time Ploughing the land, how Can they reap a full harvest? It is clear that the way time is PerCeived is dePendent uPon how time is used. OnCe uP a time, someone asked a Chan master to teaCh him how to manage time. The master rePlied- “When time Passes, it never returns: every seCond is thus preCious.” Hence whoever Can use time wisely has Control of his or her life. It does not matter how old you are; what is important is how you manage your time. “For a Person who is exhausted, the road is long; for a Person who Cannot sleeP the night is endless; for a person who does not understand the truth, the reality of birth and death is far reaChing.” We must understand that the Past will never return, the present is gone in the blink of an eye, and the future is fast approaching and will beCome the Past in a moment. An eminent master onCe said, “A day’s time is more preCious than the treasures of the universe.” As long as we Can understand the fleeting essenCe of time and learn how to use it wisely, we Can break the boundaries of time and transCend the limits of temporal space. As long as we Can learn to treasure every seCond of our lives and seize every moment, we will be able to realise and exPerienCe the truth in the saying, “a moment is eternity.” In this way, PreCious time is not limited to the tolling of an eternal clock. *All in a Thought Between IgnoranCe and Enlightenment I, Understanding Time P13-14. Venerable Master Hsing Yun, 2008 3rd edition. Buddha’s Light Publishing. 3 Buddha’s Light International Association Qld Newsletter Edition 136 July 2019 Meet Your Branch BLIAQ Committee Treasurer Some of our newer members have asked for information about our branch and the dediCated people who make up the Branch Committee. So, over the next few editions, we will Profile each of the members who make uP the Chung Tian BLIAQ BranCh Committee. This month we feature our branch treasurer Anne. Anne has been coming to Chung Tian since August of 2006 and has held the role of treasurer for four and a half years. Although she has not always been a Buddhist, Anne somehow felt drawn towards Buddhism and was initially looking for somewhere to start Buddhism classes. Anne told us she felt very fortunate to have found Chung Tian and also have the opPortunity to attend the classes almost immediately, especially as it was quite close to her home. In her words:- “From my first Sunday class I felt this was 'right' for me and was so eager for the next Sunday to come around. I still feel like that 13 years later plus now, apart from classes, I enjoy and value the friendship of other members.” When asked what her most memorable or sPeCial exPerienCe at Chung Tian has been over the years, Anne had no hesitation in her reply:- “My greatest memory of Chung Tian is taking the Triple Gem and Five Precepts Ceremony when Master Hsing Yun came to the Temple for the opening of the Pagoda in 2007. Having him perform the ceremony made it such a special day.” Anne has been retired for six years after having worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs “for a very long time”. She is an ardent animal lover, enjoys the beach and the mountains, and is “never without a book to read”.